Lady&#39;s skirt-elevator.



No. 695,546. Patent'ed mar. I8, 1902.

e. v. EGAN.

LADYS SKIRT ELEVATOR. (Application mad Aug. 23, 1901.;

(No llode l.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

r mammu No. 695,546. Patent e'dl a r. l8, 1902.1

a. v. EGAN.

LADYS SKIRT ELEVATOR.

(Application filed Aug. aa.'19o1. (No Model.) ZShuts-Shaqt 2,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE v. EGAN, or SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

LADYS SKlRT-ELEVATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 695,546, dated March18, 1902.

Application filed August 23, 1901. Serial No. 73,071. (No model.)

This invention relates toimprovements made in devices for elevating andholding up the skirt of a ladys dress clear of the ground, so as toregulate the length of the skirt at will for indoor or outdoor wear. w

The invention'ha's for its object mainly the production of a simple andeffective device having such features that it can be worn to advantageon or with a street-dress or a housedress and is always in condition andposition for ready operation when it is required for use. 7

Tosuch end and object mainly my invention consists in certain novelparts and combination of parts producing an improved skirtelevatingdevice, as hereinafter explained, and set forth in the claims at the endof this specification, reference being had therein to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part thereof.

Figure 1 of the drawings represents a skirtelevating belt embodying mysaid improvements, showing the same applied to the skirt. Figs. 2, 3,and 4 illustrate a form or construction of the elevating means speciallyadapted for use with a ribbon waist-belt, Fig. 2 being a front view,Fig. 3 a back view, and Fig. 4 a side view, taken from the right-handside of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 illustrates the skirt-elevating means combinedfor operation on and with a leather waist-belt.

In that construction of my improved skirt elevating belt in which ribbonis used for the waist-beltprovision is made for changing the ribbon asoften as it becomes soiled or out of style or as it may be desired towear waistbelts of different colors with different costumes, and in thisconnection attention has been given to the form and the ornamentation ofthe parts, so that the device may be as richly decorated as the purse ofthe wearer to the left. downward from those guides are joined tomaywarrant and the whole device. may be made to harmonize with the otherparts of the costume when worn outside the skirt.

The construction of the parts when combined with a leather waist-belt issomewhat simplified, being made apermanent part of the belt, asrepresented in Fig. 5.

In both forms'and applications of the elevating means two supportsspaced at short intervals apart on the back of the belt constitutecord-guides, over which two cords B B are laid and turned at'rightangles in oppositedirections, one to the right and the other The cordsextending vertically gether at a point below, where they are united toa-clip or spring-hook f.

On the inside of the skirt at the center of the back a cord or tape H isattached at the lower end to the material of the skirt and on the looseor detached upper end is provided with a ring or loop I, to which theunited ends of the cords B B are attached by the hook f. By this meansthe cords are made fast to the skirt at a point below andperpendicularly in line with those cords when they are under tension. Acord or tape of this character should be provided on every skirt withwhich the elevating-belt is to be worn, and usually the same ispermanently attached in place on the skirt by means of a few stitches.It may be less permanently attached to the skirt, however, by usingother fastening means, such as pins or metal clips. These parts whenthey are to be worn for use with a ribbon belt are arranged and combinedas shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. The cord-guides are constructed of studsb, fixed in a back plate at of a more or less ornamental outline, andare provided with rollers. The studs are set equidistant from and onopposite sides of a vertical center line, and the studs and theirrollers are covered by a front plate 6 of the same general form as theback plate, to which it is united bya rim. In this rim 9 are formed theapertures h, through which the cords B B are brought from between thefront plate and the back plates. These apertures, in conjunction withthe guidesl), serve to confine the cords and keep them in line andworking position.

On the outside of the back plate are loops I, and hinged clamps M,similar in construction to those in the ordinary suspenderbuckle, bywhich the back plate is secured to awaist-ribbon A. The loops L arepreferably formed of wire. The clamps M are plates pivotally attached atm to the back plate at one edge and provided with teeth orasperities pon the opposite edge, over which the ribbon is carried after beingpassed through the loops in such manner that the strain on the ribbontends to press the plate against the ribbon and prevent the back platefrom moving laterally on the ribbon after being set in position. In theapplication of these parts to a leather belt, with which they are morepermanently combined than they are in the before described construction,where the waist-ribbon is detachable, the casing containing the guidesZ) is permanently fixed in the belt in the center of the back. In linewith the guides Z) tubular guides 4' extend from the openings 7b in therim g for a short distance on either side toward the front to apertures5. These lateral guide-channels are formed in the belt by inserting aflexible tube TX in the substance or material of the belt or, as shownin Fig. 5 of the drawings, by using two thicknesses or layers ofmaterial and fixing the tubular guide between them, an opening beingmade in the outer layer, through which the end of the tube is brought tothe outside.

The tube-guides are preferably made of spirally-wound wire with thespirals closely laid, which affords a considerable degree of flexibilityand pliability in the tube that allows it to readily conform to thecurvature of the belt when it is placed around the waist. The cords areof proper length when drawn out to be brought around the waist fromopposite sides and secured together by the knobs or fastenings 7;,provided on the ends, and when thus joined at the front of the waist thelower edge of the skirt should be elevated by them as far above theground'as the device is capable of doing. A less degree of elevation isproduced and the skirt is supported at such less distance from thesurface by causing the cords to catch in grips or catches T, provided atthe apertures on the sides, through which the elevating-cords pass tothe outside. These grips have V-shaped slots. u to seize theelevating-cords, which when drawn out to the required length are held bytaking a turn around the grip.

The front plate a of the attached parts is susceptible of ornamentation,so that its real character may be concealed or rendered subservient toits ornamental qualities.

By mounting the casing (Z c permanently on a bolt the loops and clampsprovided for attaching the device to a waistribbon are dispensed with.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new therein,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a dress-elevator, two plates joined at their edges to an aperturedrim, two of the apertures being diametrically opposite to each other andthe other one mid way between them on the lower side, two supportsbetween the plates substantially in line with the side apertures andabove the lower one, two cords through the lower aperture, the lowerends of which are provided with means for connecting them with a skirt,and the upper ends are passed over said supports, and out through theother apertures in opposite directions, and means for fastening theplates at the waist.

2. In a dress-elevator, two plates joined at their edges to an aperturedrim, two of the apertures being located opposite to each other and theother one midway between them on the lower side, two studs between theplates above the lower aperture and substantially on a line between theside apertures, a roller on each stud, two cords through the loweraperature, the lower ends of which are provided with a hook and theother ends are passed over the rollers and out through the sideapertures and each provided with a fastener, means for fastening theplates at the waist and means for detachably connecting a skirt with thehook on the ends of the cords.

8. In a dress-elevator, two plates joined at theiredges to an aperturedrim, means for detachably connecting one of said plates to awaist-ribbon,two sup ports between the plates, and two cords through thelower aperture, the lower ends of which are provided with means fordetachably connecting them with a dressskirt, and the other ends arepassed over the supports and in opposite directions through the otherapertures in the rim.

4. In a dress-elevator, a casinghaving diametrieall y oppositeperforations and provided with supports upon the interior thereof,clamps on one side of the casing for connecting a waist-ribbon therewithand elevatingcords passed in opposite directions through theperforations and over the supports.

5. In adress-elevator, a radially-perforated easing provided withindependent supports upon the interior thereof for guiding the cordslaterally in opposite directions, means for supporting the casing at thewaist, a catch at each side of the casing adjacent to a perforation, andelevating-cords united at their lower ends and passed in oppositedirections laterally through the perforations and over the supports, thefree ends of which are adapted to be engaged by the catches.

6. In a dress-elevator, a plate provided with a perforated rim, a covertherefor, supports upon the plate within the rim above one of theperforations and substantially in line with the other two, means forseonring the plate In testimony whereof I have signed my at the waist,elevating-cords passed in opponame in the presence of two subscribingWit- 10 site directions laterally overthe supports and nesses.

throu h the perforations, the cords being unitea and provided With meansfor oonnect- GEORGE EGAN ing them at a eommonpoint with a dress-Witnesses:

W; F. CLARK,

ADELAIDE O. CLARK.

skirt at one end and means for securing the other ends in position toelevate the skirt.

